Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Cinema by Keith M. Booker

Author:Keith M. Booker [Booker]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Published: 2010-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

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JACKSON, SAMUEL L. (1948– ). The African American actor Samuel L. Jackson first gained extensive critical attention for his role in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever (1991) and made his first appearance in science fiction film as a computer analyst in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park (1993). Jackson was then propelled to stardom via his performance as Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994). Since that time, he has appeared in dozens of films, including several high-profile science fiction films. In 1998, he joined a cast of Hollywood heavyweights (including Dustin Hoffman and Sharon Stone) in the undersea adventure Sphere, which he quickly followed with a major role in another undersea adventure, Deep Blue Sea (1999). In that same year he (briefly) played Mace Windu in Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace, thus gaining his greatest exposure to science fiction fans. He reprised that role in Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith (2005). Jackson had a central role in the teleportation drama Jumper (2008). He also provided the voice of Windu in the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) and has done additional voiceover work in The Incredibles (2004), Astro Boy (2009), and Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey (2010).

JAPANESE SCIENCE FICTION FILM. Japanese science fiction film has long been associated primarily with the monster-movie genre, particularly with the low-budget monster movies produced by Toho Studios beginning in the 1950s. Of the Toho monsters, Godzilla (with the original Japanese name of Gojira) is clearly the most notable, though others, such as Rodan and Mothra, have made multiple appearances as well, often sharing the screen with Godzilla. Godzilla first appeared in a self-titled film (directed by Ishirō Honda) in 1954, gaining enough attention that the film was rereleased in an English-dubbed version in 1956 as Godzilla: King of the Monsters! with additional scenes directed by Terry Morse and featuring American actor Raymond Burr to give American audiences a character with whom to identify. Since that time, Toho has released more than 20 Godzilla movies, as well as numerous other kaiju monster movies, some combining well-known Western movie monsters with their own creations, as in Kingu Kongu tai Gojira (1962, King Kong vs. Godzilla).

The same inexpensive (but often highly effective) special effects technologies used in the kaiju film have also been used by Toho in a number of effects-driven tokusatsu science fiction movies. Toho soon moved into other genres of science fiction film as well, as in the alien-invasion drama Chikyû Bôeigun (1957, The Mysterians) and its sequel Uchu daisenso (1959, Battle in Outer Space), both of which also found Western audiences in dubbed versions. Toho’s output in the 1960s was dominated by monster movies, though some of these, such as Kaijû daisenso (1965, Invasion of Astro-Monster) had especially strong science fictional elements. In addition, their ongoing output of monster movies has often been spiced up with the addition of new science fictional elements. For example, in Mekagojira no gyakushu

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